Employers and our insureds achieved a significant victory when the Assembly voted to remove the comparative negligence provisions from the governor’s budget bill.

Those provisions would have allowed trial lawyers to rig lawsuits so that persons with minimal fault would have to pick up substantial damages while those with greater fault escaped liability. In today’s economy, what kind of business wants to undergo that sort of risk? It makes more sense for a state to add jobs than to increase the fees attorneys get from lawsuits against employers and motorists.

Again, NAMIC thanks you for your efforts to encourage the climate for job growth Wisconsin needs.

This Week:

Now the bill is before the Senate. Key votes are expected to occur Tuesday.

Because of the way the Senate is considering the bill, we must convince the senators to also vote to remove the job-killing comparative negligence provisions. We also have the opportunity to have the Senate remove the automobile insurance cost drivers, such as increase liability limits.

What We Are Asking:

As in the Assembly, there are enough pro-jobs and economic-growth Democrats and Republicans in the Senate that it is possible for positive floor amendments to pass.

IN ORDER TO PUT THIS COALITION TOGETHER, SENATORS MUST HEAR FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS. THEY WILL FACE PRESSURE FROM LEADERSHIP, BUT CALLS FROM ENOUGH OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS TRUMP LEADERSHIP.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATOR AND URGE SUPPORT FOR AMENDMENTS THAT STRIP THE TRIAL LAWYERS AGENDA FROM THE BUDGET BILL.

Because of the fast pace, a personal visit will be too late. Instead, visit www.legis.wisconsin.gov and type in your address. You will be directed to your senator with the office’s telephone number:

Call the office. It is likely you will not able to reach your legislator immediately, so leave a short message, such as:

Hello, this is ______. I work for ______ Mutual Insurance in _____. My address and telephone number are: ____.

I'm asking Senator _____ to support amendments to AB 75 that remove the provisions in the bill that will increase insurance costs and the cost of doing business for Wisconsin’s employers and farmers.

I also want to stress that legislation that increases employer liability or that forces motorist to buy insurance they do not want should be debated and voted on separate from the vital budget bill. If a bill cannot stand on its own, it tells you something about it. The trial attorney agenda shouldn’t be tucked into the budget bill and needs to come out.

Thank you.

Don't worry about anyone arguing with you; your goal is to let the legislator know what you, a constituent, is thinking. If they don't hear from you, they think you don't care.

NAMIC will continue to work closely on this issue with the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance and the Wisconsin Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.